The Abyss
by MidnightWritter
Summary: Story begins from the attempted cliff dive in NM. Absolutely AU in regards to Bella. Bella always thought she was different. This explores that idea. First Fan Fic. Please give ideas and input.
1. The End is the Beginning

I do not own Twilight. I just obsess over it.

cliff diving stuff...From NM from when she jumps off to when she starts to sink I didn't want to copy from the book...

I felt my legs being dragged down deeper and deeper in the cold black water. Where was it?! Where is that light I've always heard of? I've felt my lungs fill with the cold water and the pain, holy crow! The pain! I thought you were suppose to have peace, all pain was suppose to leave and then there was some light that I would see and it would feel warm and loving and I would then get my harp and wings. What was this all about! NO! This can't be. Don't tell me I'm going to feel all of this for eternity. Oh, please, I hope the fish eat my flesh soon so I wont feel this anymore! Where was my angles voice? Where were my grandparents who went before me? How could I have been so foolish!? Maybe God misunderstood me. It was a mistake. No, this can't be I must be in hell! Why is it so cold here? Did it freeze over? I'm nuts, that's it! How can I even try to joke about my fate at a time like this. I just need to get through this.

Jacob's POV

I can't believe that I couldn't save her. She was almost within my reach. My lungs were about to burst needing more oxygen. Why was she sinking that way? Like she was being dragged by something. I tried to keep going when I heard Sam's voice call me back up. Correction, command me back up. I don't know if I will ever forgive him for distracting me. I looked up for a split second and then looked back to Bella's body, but she was...gone. I yelled but it just came out in bubbles and had to resurface. I can't even count how many times I dove back down so search for her. This was all my fault...the very least I could do would be to deliver her body to Charlie.

What good is being "a protector" if I couldn't protect the one girl in the world I loved. The rest of the pack kept an eye out for the surface. After a few hours I realized there was no hope for her. I pounded the shore in my anger and frustration for not being able to save her. I had all this new found strength and speed. For what! I can't save the one person that I care for. I hate myself. Sam put his hand on my shoulder and told me that we would keep a patrol out for her body to wash up. I couldn't even imagine what Victoria would do to desecrate her body if she found her first. I have to go find Charlie I thought, but then everything went black.

I woke up on my couch. Quil was there. His face was pained and confused and what was that, angry? I sat up and hoped I had just experienced the worst nightmare possible! I was almost relieved! That's when he said it. Those words came out of his mouth.

"Her body hasn't washed up yet. We will have one of us patrol, but there are more pressing issues at this time."

"What the hell could that be?!" I spat out.

"It's Harry Clearwater. He just died of a heart attack. Everyone else is at the hospital. Including Charlie. I was the one sent here to give you the message to meet us there."

"What is going on, how did I get on this couch." I questioned.

"Apparently you exhausted yourself in your search, and your body just finally gave out. Hey, it's OK, I can't even imagine what you must be going through. If anything ever happened to Clair..."

"Quil, don't you ever think of that! Do you hear me! NEVER! (I sighed and calmly asked) Has anyone talked to Charlie yet...you know... about Bella?"

"No, that's why I was sent here. Sam thinks it would be best if you told him." Quil looked so angry. "How could that help you at a time like this? It was Sam's decision, not mine. Oh man! I'm really sorry about everything." I knew he really understood what I was going through at that moment. Even without being in our wolf form.

We arrived at the hospital to see everyone trying to console Harry's family. Charlie truly looked sad and when he saw me...confused. Confused that his little girl wasn't with us. My dad turned my way and said, "Jacob, I think you need to talk to Charlie right now. He deserves to know!"

"Sure sure." I said sadly.

"Charlie, um...I need to talk to you. Can I see you in private?"

"You bet Jacob. Is this about helping out the Clearwaters?" Charlie asked.

"I wish." my voice cracked when I spoke.

We walked in the chapel. The pack ushered out everyone else when they saw us enter. They knew what was going to be said. They were all going home now anyway.

"Charlie, this is really hard to say. It's about Bella..."

Charlie got upset and gave me the once over, "Just say what you're going to say Jake! Did you get my little girl pregnant or something?!"

"NO! No, no, no. Nothing like that...I wish that's what it was." I muttered

"WHAT!?" Charlie's face was almost purple and I saw him flinch for his gun holster.

I raised my arms in a surrendered form, if this was his reaction to that, what would it be when I told him his little girl was dead because I couldn't dive deep enough! I think he calmed down when he saw me break down in tears.

"Ah, come on Jake, I'm not gonna shot you. Stop crying. I'm sure we can figure out whatever is going on."

I then told him the whole story. At first I was worried that he wouldn't understand me since I was crying so much. I looked up to see his reaction but I was so confused. His eyes were closed but he looked like he was...smiling. Why the heck would he be smiling?! Why isn't his in tears? Was he actually happy that his daughter was dead rather than pregnant? What kind of sick...

"Jacob, thank you. Really, from the bottom of my heart. I know you did your best for my little girl. I hope you know that I appreciate everything you've done for her." He put his hand on my shoulder. It felt cold and his face looked a little blue. I was startled and was wondering if he was having a heart attack too. He just shook his head and smiled at me.

"Jake, knowing that you were my daughter's closest friend at the end really does mean a lot to me." Then he turned away from me and walked out the door as I collapsed weeping on the floor.

Bella's POV

I must have gone through this for days! My flesh feeling as if it is being ripped from my body and feelings I can't even put into words are going through my mind. I was starting to forget who I was, why I was here. Edward, that's right. It was all because of a man named Edward. I feel so alone. Surly he wasn't worth all this pain and suffering, but something deep down told me that he was. I felt a pain in my heart from his memory. Oh, the devil sure did know how to tourcher his victims didn't he? Just when I started to imagine that the pain was going away I could hear voices. It was strange though, like in a language that I knew from a long time ago. Was this in the tongue of angles? It was certainly like music, but my ears felt muffled. It was like I could hear the voices in my head, not my ears. I knew these voices. But where from? There was singing. Oh, please tell me that I was being delivered up from this hell I was in. Maybe there was a mix up and they saw in my heart of hearts that I didn't intend to hurt myself. That I belonged in heaven after all. Maybe I just had penance for my stupidity?! I hoped that was the case...What...I can HOPE again. I gave a sigh of relief, but it was different. It was harder to breath. The air was thick and I had to work to pull it in my lungs and push it out. I opened my eyes and there was an eerie green glow. I looked around and the first people that I saw were my grandparents. They looked so different. So...Beautiful. My grandmother was smiling at me sweetly and spoke to my mind.

'Isabella! How I've missed you! How I love you! I'm so glad that you are with us now!"

My grandfather rushed up to me and gave me a bone crunching hug. It was remarkable because I remembered hearing that in the end he was so feeble and weak. Charlie used to tell me that Grandpa would want to hold me but the best they could do was have Charlie hold me next to him.

'Isabella, how I wished I could have done that in the other life! The stories you heard about me not being able to hold you are true.' I was shocked to then see his memories of me as a baby and Charlie holding me close so my Grandpa could put his feeble hand on my cheek. There were tears in his eyes.

'Grandpa, I'm so sorry! I can't even imagine you that way. You are so strong and young looking.' I looked down at my hands in embarrassment. What must they think of me for throwing my life away for something so stupid...now what was that reason? But on further examination, I was shocked. My skin looked different. I wondered how different I looked. Then it took a few minutes to gather enough courage to check to see if I had wings. I whirled around. My grandparents laughed. I must have looked like a dog chasing it's tail. Hum...I sure liked dogs, they do say all dogs go to heaven.

My grandmother stopped me from spinning and said as she looked in my eyes, 'Darling, we don't have wings! But we can fly! In a way, of course. Oh, one moment, I have to do something first." My grandmother had a faraway look and was joined by my grandfather. They spoke in a tongue that I was sure I should know but couldn't quite remember. They had anger in their voices and hatred in their eyes. Then they turned back to me with their smiles and said, "Lets go flying".

Jacob's POV  
It has been almost a month now that my Bella has been gone. That leech and his family are back. It's all his fault, that filthy bloodsucker. Why are they back now? I'll tell you one thing, if they slip up, even a little, it will be my pleasure to rip out this throat and disassemble his body. Maybe I'll remove his heart and and hang in from my rear view mirror. The thought of that made me smile. But no, this isn't a time to smile, this is a time to comb the shore for the body of my best friend. Who am I kidding, she was more than that, or at least she should have been. "Why Bells! Why?" I was so mad that heaven took her from me. From time to time I would see a big clump of seaweed wash ashore. Half afraid that it would be her. I couldn't imagine seeing my beautiful Bells picked at by fish. I wanted to desperately always remember her feisty and just...perfect. Oh Bells, why.

Chief Swan didn't want to try to recover his daughter's body. He said that it was better for her to be buried at sea. That way, he could always feel her close when he would smell the salty air. He also knew that we would be checking for her body on the shore daily.

There was a memorial service at the shore a couple of weeks back. I was glad, the bloodsuckers weren't allowed to come since it was across the treaty lines. He will never get to say goodbye to her again! He didn't deserve to be able to! At the conclusion we all threw roses into the sea from the cliff site and there were wreathes and flower arrangements there as well. It was a makeshift memorial. I found out that the senior class was planning to have a real memorial put there in her honer. I couldn't believe that there were so many people there. Her entire school and most of Forks. I noticed that annoying Mike guy there crying and this creepy looking girl looking like she was enjoying having him hold her while he was weeping. I think her name was Jessica or something. She kept telling everyone how close she was to Bella. You could see even at her memorial, she wanted to take the attention away from Bells. There were police chiefs from the surrounding areas there as well. It was a beautiful ceremony for a beautiful girl.

Just then, I saw something I wasn't expecting. It was Charlie. What the heck is he doing out here? Is he really going fishing? He had his boat and was pushing it in the water. I ran up and called out to him.

"Hey Charlie!" He looked startled like I caught him doing something. Maybe he was going to go out looking for his little girls body. Did he change his mind. I decided to give him an out.

"Good day to go fishing huh?" I said while looking and my flipper sized feet.

"Um, yeah, I thought, since it was my day off and all. I just needed a break." I looked up to see him try to cover up some stuff in his boat. He had a 12 pack of Coke tied to a rope and a meshed bag full of softball sized stones. That was odd. Maybe he was going to drag them to keep them cold, but Coke really wasn't his drink, that was Bella's. Oh, Bella! Maybe he was going to drink it in her honor.

I then had an idea, "Chief, you want some company?"

"NO! I mean, no, that's OK Jake, I think I got it."

"I didn't mean me." yes I did "I was thinking that I could get my dad to go with you...If you want that is. It would only take a sec."

His face had a broad smile on it and he said, "Jake, I know what you're trying to do and I appreciate it, really. I think I just need to be alone right now. I promise, Billy is my closest friend, I will go to him when I'm ready."

"Sure ...sure" was all I could say. He then pushed his boat off waved at me and "sailed" into the sunset. He was a ways off but I could see him with my wolf's sight. Or at least I thought I could I then saw him throw in the Coke weighed down with the bag of rocks. Weird!

Edward's POV

What is going on! I can't live like this. Alice saw a vision of Bella jumping off a cliff and then nothing...nothing. Rose saw it fit to call me and tell me that my beloved was dead, fish food was her foul words, so I had to call Charlie to confirm. I called, but Alice answered. She sounded out of breath, should I remind her that we don't need to breath. I roared at her for being there and asked her what she was doing, then she told me that Bella was in trouble. That she was in pain. Horrible pain. That she couldn't see her, but that is was pitch black.

That was a month ago. I keep going over Alice's vision over and over, making Alice relive it over and over. Bella jumps, sinks then nothing...nothing. Then she's in pain. Bella in darkness in pain. We could even feel the pain. It was something that we have never experienced. I can hear peoples thoughts but not feel what they feel. And Alice, she can "see" but not feel.

Oh, I get sick when I think that my angel is going through that. Jacob came to me to tell me that I murdered her. I know he enjoyed rubbing my face in that. I wouldn't tell him about Alice's vision. She wasn't his concern anymore anyway. I was back to stay. I made a foolish decision and if it would take eternity to correct it, then so be it. Besides how would she see all that if she were dead? How indeed! We would check on her from time to time but the pain stopped suddenly.

Alice got a far away look that she was having a vision. I tapped right into it. We could see Bella with two strange people. She looked strange too. But more beautiful than anything I have ever seen. We could hear the most beautiful singing, but...what language is that? The melody is haunting. It was so peaceful. Bella started to spin around like she was in an underwater ballet or something. She was so amazingly beautiful. The couple that were with her were laughing but not at her. Rather with joy. The woman stopped Bella's spinning and then one of the most frightening things happened.

The woman turned and saw us. It was like we were there. Bella looked at her and then toward us, but we could tell she couldn't see us. She spoke to Alice and I looking us in the eye.

"You two. How dare you! What authority do you have to spy on our family."

The man was by her side in a flash."I normally don't give warnings, but seeing as you care for Isabella so much I will give you one THIS time. If I ever find out that you seek us again I will make you wish you were never born. Isabella is no longer your concern. She is where she belongs. She will have joy here. You needn't worry about her. Let her go...for your sake."

"NEVER! I LOVE HER!" I yelled.

"How dare you speak to me in such tones you insolent toad!" A pain thrashed through my body like nothing I remember ever feeling.

"NO, BELLA!"

"You are a crude creature aren't you. You address her as Bella do you? Do you not know who she is?" then he said under his breath 'of course not' "She doesn't remember you fool. Your feeble feelings for her mean nothing. She doesn't remember anything of her past life. Just know that she will be young and beautiful and joyful forever. If you truly love her you should be rejoicing. You do not want a war with our kind." he spoke to me as if I was some insignificant bug that he could easily crush.

"I'm not giving her up without a fight!" I spat.

He laughed and the woman's eyes bore into me with hatred. "You really think you are a threat...to us? As I said before, this is a warning little boy. Stop before you get 'burned?' Yes, I know what you are and your weakness to fire. Don't make me destroy you and your family. Just so you know, this will be the last time you will be 'allowed' to have a little peek at our Isabella. You are being cut off from her in this way."

I felt that horrible pain again and then everything was black and I was on the floor in my house. I was dry sobbing and my family was staring at me with all these questions buzzing all around me. They heard my side of the conversation but have never seen us talk to a vision before. It was the most unique vision Alice and I have ever shared. I could hear Alice quickly telling them what all happened. I collected myself off of the floor and grabbed Alice.

"Alice, we have to see what they are doing to her!"

There was fear in her eyes, "I don't think that's a good idea. I've never had someone do that to me before. He scares me. He knows who we are Edward! He's threatened our whole family!"

"I'm begging you Alice! She's my life!"

She thought about it and sighed. Then she was concentrating. Nothing. Nothing happened. She then tried harder. Again, nothing. She looked really scared. Then she looked at Rose and easily saw her with Emmett in their bedroom and whipped out of that. Relief came over her face.

"Well, the good news is I still have my power, but the bad news is, I can no longer see Bella. I'm truly sorry Edward."

That's when Carlisle spoke up. "Alice, Edward. Can you describe to me what is couple looked like in every detail possible. It's obvious that they aren't quite human and if we want to get Bella back, we need to know what we are dealing with."


	2. Heaven Has Coke

Once again, I do not own Twilight.

Edward's POV

Charlise got the full description but didn't understand why they seemed like they were floating. His only explanation was that we were believed to be mythical and so were those filthy mongrels that stopped us from attending Bella's memorial service so, maybe, just maybe she was in the clutches of some other mythical creature. Bella looked happy to be with them though. I had seen the vision of her jumping off the cliff and she didn't look happy, and thanks to that Jacob mutt, I got to see what she looked like before that. Maybe she was happy. Maybe it was the right place for her to be. I needed answers and I have run out of sources to were I can get information. I had to do it. I had to go to my last source of information. I would have to talk to Chief Swan. For all I knew, the dogs have convinced him that I was the cause of Bella's death. He knew I was the reason for her being a zombie for her last few months before her disappearance. I must see him, at any cost. But how? I decided that I would need to just go to his house and make him talk to me. How I would explain why a bullet bounces off of my forehead after he shots me point blank, I don't know. I guess I will just try to roll with the punches. I went to his house and sat down. I knew it was possible that I would be there for a while. I was willing to wait, no matter how long or what it took.

Jacob's POV

Charlie is just leaning in that water like he's looking at something. I swear he's been there for hours, just looking into the sea. I'd feel bad for him, if I had any feelings to spare. But I'm starting to feel dead inside. I couldn't stop it. I wasn't fast enough, I wasn't strong enough, I wasn't enough! I felt such sadness. No, not sadness, rage. Pure rage and hate. Hate for the bloodsuckers of the world. That's when I saw it. The flash of red. The wind was on my side. She didn't smell me yet. This was my chance. This was my way of making it up to my Bella! There's going to be a fire tonight fueled by a redheaded bloodsucker! Then I could relax and be fine with Bella having her final resting place under the sea.

Bella's POV

I was having so much fun with my grandparents, when I saw it. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a 12 pack of coke floating! I really was in heaven and they didn't forget the good stuff either!

My grandparents turned and looked at me, then looked at each other and started to laugh hysterically.

They stopped laughing and then burst into laughter again. They were starting to be cruel! I put my hands on my hips and was debating on whether I should stick my tongue out at them or not.

My grandmother was kind enough to stop and said, "Isabella, the Coke is there from your father. His boat is directly above us! He thought you might want your favorite drink to help you with your transition."

I was in shock, "Charlie, here?" I looked above me and lo and behold, there was the bottom of his boat! I wanted to shout for joy as I raced for the surface. Their hands reached for my ankles and lowered me down again.

Grandfather was firm when he told me, "We never go to the surface when it is day. We may be the most powerful creatures on this planet, but we don't provoke a fight to prove it. There is no reason why humans should fear us, but if one of us got caught, they would do horrible tests on us until we were nothing but a billion microscope slides. There would be genetic testing and then we would go to war with them to get our fellow back. The risks are too great. We are thrilled that the sea is mostly undiscovered by them. We are a peaceful race. You must promise to never go to the surface unless it is at night AND you are accompanied by someone who is responsible."

"Sure sure" I thought. Boy, that kind of made me want to have a wicked smile, where did that come from. However, we did come close to the surface. I could see my fathers face. He had a beautiful smile on his face like I have never seen before! "Dad!" I figured that he wouldn't hear me but I was wrong, "Oh sweetheart! How do you like my happiest place on Earth? I'm going to join you all in a couple of months. I'm going to go deep sea fishing where I will get thrown overboard by an incredibly strong marlin! I will be lost at sea. I wanted everyone here in the above world to know that good ol' Charlie kicked the bucket with his boots on and doing something he loved!"

He was telepathic too. Awesome! "Wow dad, that's pretty dramatic! Are you sure you can pull that off." I said with one eyebrow cocked up.

"Of course. Everyone knows how clumsy I am! Maybe some people will get a giggle out of it." he said with a goofy grin on his face. "Bella, I'm going to come back every week until then to let you know of my plans. I don't want you to worry though, OK! I just need to tie up some loose ends so I can get back to all of you! I love you Bells!"

"I love you too Dad. Dad? How's M-m-mom with all of this?" I said with sadness in my eyes that I'm sure he saw.

"Renee is happy with her life, but it's not like you can't communicate with her. You need to see her parents and they can help you. I really got to go. Jacob was watching me from the shore, but it looks like he is doing something urgent...what the. I'll talk to you next week. You need to find your mom's parents though. Mom, Dad please take her to them."

They smiled and both nodded yes. My grandfathers wrist flicked and my dad's boat was whisked off to the shore.

Charlie's POV

The feelings going through me where like an oil spill on the water. All different colors existing separately but all mixed up together somehow. I was excited about going home for the first time in almost 20 years! Relieved that I could return to my natural state. Sad that I had to pretend to grieve my very much alive daughter. Confused to what Jacob was doing. Anxious for the next few weeks to be over. Curious as to why the Cullens were back and why my father secretly told me to watch out for him. That Edward and Alice were trying to watch Bella. How could they know anything? Where did they receive powers to search for our kind. What kind of witchcraft are they practicing? Why did Edward mix up that sweet Alice in such evil work as that.

As I was hitching up the boat to the dock and as I was climbing into my cruiser, I noticed something strange. Purple smoke was rising in the distance. At first I was alarmed that there was a fire, but then I noticed the sweetness of the smell and thought better of it. I wonder what they are smoking for their "religious purposes". Maybe I should check on it...nah, I'm going to be human for only a couple more weeks. If Billy is enjoying smoking some wacky tabaccy, then, more power to him. I've got better things to do than deal with that!

Edward's POV

Twilight again, but I don't feel as safe as I once did. What kind of creature could block Alice's visions, confront her through them and even torture me through them. And Why couldn't Bella do that. What is that smell, it's like incense...wait a minute...purple smoke. My cell rang. Alice called me as if on que. "Edward, we are all here safe and sound. Glad to hear you are too. We all smelled it and saw the smoke. It's not from us though. Gotta go, hey, be easy on Charlie, he knows more than he's saying, but it's still hard on him." click The phone went dead. Just then I heard Chief Swan's cruiser pull up.

'Oh crap, what does he want from me! Thank goodness I don't have any more daughter for him to destroy!'

My stomach sank and I closed my eyes out of guilt sadness and pain. I must get through this. I must. I lept to my feet and said, "Chief Swan, I know I have no right to ask, but I was wondering if I could have a few minutes of your time to talk to you."

'Damn straight you have no right, get out of my face kid before we find out you're not bullet-proof.' he thought with a snarl. "Edward...She's dead. Are you going to just wait around until she walks through that door again? Fine, you are welcome to. But you will be waiting there until you are old and gray and then die! It's not going to happen. She is done walking this good green earth! Go home, find another girl to destroy, pay her father compliments and false respect. You are done here! Show's over!"

He bent his head down and unlocked the door and walked in without another word.

"But Chief Swan, please...that's just it, I don't think she is dead!" I pleaded. Charlie stopped dead in his tracks at that and turned around slowly.

"What makes you say that" he said and then he thought 'Are you going to tell me you saw her or something incredible like that?'

I paused and debated about what I should tell him. How much should I tell him. If Bella was a mythical creature that we didn't know about, the chances of one of both of her parents being one were incredibly high. Even if Charlie wasn't the parent to give her that DNA, surly he would know that Renee was...different. "Hypothetically speaking, let's say that I did see Bella in a way." There was a look of shock in his eyes and something else, what was it, maybe it was understanding?

"Hypothetically speaking... you saw my daughter. Hum...Did you speak with her?"

"Hypothetically, no. But I saw her and I know she was with 2 others...hypothetically of course."

Charlie quickly answered, "Of course, hypothetically. What were they saying to each other?" Charlie still looked calm.

It was the strangest thing, I could hear his heart beat race as I told him more but I could tell he knew exactly what I was talking about. "I couldn't understand the language that they were speaking. But then the other two looked at my sister Alice and I and started to question us in English...Hypothetically"

Then he asked "How were you able to do this?" "Let's just say that my sister Hypothetically can 'see' futures and what others are doing and I can hypothetically read minds so I would have been reading my sisters mind at the same time she was checking in on Bella...All hypothetically of course."

Charlie got furious. He then screamed these thoughts, 'How dare you! How dare you come in my house for the past two years knowing how to read my mind and then pretend this is all hypothetical! Get OUT!! Alice too huh? What are you, a bunch of witches? I thought your eyes looked weird! You are not welcome in my home. Go away freak!' He then opened the door and finally spoke. "Edward, I know you heard my thoughts, I will be on my toes from now on. Leave it alone though. She's finally at peace. Please, for her sake, and yours, move on with your life." I walked out and he closed the door behind me.


	3. Deep Sea Fishing

I do not own Twilight. I just love it!

Jacob's POV

Yes! I almost feel bad that I enjoyed ripping up that blood sucker up so much. Could go for killing a couple more. That wouldn't be good for the treaty though. We need to tell the Cullens that their little friend who was stalking Bella was no match for me and my rage! Booyah! The pack is thrilled. This will be one less thing for Charlie to worry about, even if he didn't know it was a vampire not bears attacking people. I ran back to the shore and that's when I saw it. The shirt Bella wore when she jumped over a month ago. It was ripped up and was washed up to the sand. I knelt by it crying. Some stinking shark must have taken the rest of her. I will never see her beautiful face again. I will never look deep into her gorgeous brown eyes again. I never got the chance to kiss her. Oh I guess I had chances, but they were always stolen away by her loyalty to the one who ripped her heart in a million pieces. I can't take it anymore. I can't look at that cliff another day. My entire body started to shake and instantly I was back in my wolf form. I ran. I had to be away for a while. I just couldn't do it anymore. The memories were too painful. Sam heard my mind and told me that he would be here when I came back. If I come back was all I could think.

Edward's POV

It's been two months since I talked to Charlie. He avoids me and calls me "witch" in his head whenever I'm in close proximity. I was thinking of a way to talk to him again when Alice burst in my room.

"Edward, we've got to do something...Charlie is going to die."

"What?!" Then I saw it. She shared her vision and it had Charlie on a charter boat going deep sea fishing and then a huge marlin jumps out of the water and it is attached to his fishing rod which isn't secure and then he flies into the water with the rod and he never resurfaces.

"We have to get on that charter with him or we may loose Bella forever" Alice said with the most intense look I have ever seen her have.

"Absolutely, whatever it takes!"

"I knew you would say that, I called and booked us right after the vision and then came to see you next. I didn't want the boat to run out of room. Now I need to go to the mall to find proper fishing attire."

"I'm glad you have your priorities straight." I murmured

"I heard that!" She yelled as she was walking out of our house going to the mall.

The next day was the fishing excursion. Luckily it wasn't too sunny and it was chilly for human standards, so hats and long sleeves were acceptable attire. We waited till the boat was about to disembark when we shuffled on board much to Charlie's chagrin! Too late for him to get off now. We fixed every possible future hazard, from a rod that wasn't securely bolted down to a slippery deck. Charlie seemed to realize what we were doing, then, without warning, he went toward the edge turned and smiled at us thought in his head, 'Goodbye Cullens I won't miss you' and he dove into the ocean. Alice and I looked at each other in horror and then I ran at human speed and dove in after Charlie. The next thing I saw shocked me more then I was ready for. Charlie was swimming deeper into the abyss and then up came my Bella. She saw her father and embraced him and then looked over his shoulder and saw me. There was a look of shock on her face. Shock and surprise, but no recognition. How could that be? Not needing air I swam deeper to catch up to her. I grabbed her hand and that electric current flowed through us. I pulled her to my body. I haven't felt that happy since I last allowed myself to be with her last. Then I heard something I never thought I would ever hear...I could hear her voice without her talking.

"Who are you? Should I know you?"

I then heard Charlie say, "Bella, leave him be, he's a human and will be dead in less than a minute if he doesn't resurface for air soon. I need you for my transformation."

She looked back at him and nodded then looked back at me. She looked deep into my eyes willing herself to remember me. Then her strong arms pushed me with great force to the surface. I stopped my assent and looked at her pulling her father down deeper into the sea. She gave me one last glance and turned to help her father who seemed to struggle for breath. I wouldn't give up. I tried to pursue them. She was so fast underwater and so graceful. I didn't think she could be more beautiful than when I last saw her in Forks. Then the man came up to meet me.

"I warned you Edward! You didn't listen, maybe after this you will feel a little different about staying away from my grand daughter!" "Oh crap, Bella is King Triton's granddaughter. Just great!" Just then I felt pain through my entire body and then everything went black.

Alice's POV

They have been underwater for over 15 minutes. I knew Edward would be fine, but Charlie had to be a goner. Something was coming to the surface. It was, oh no, it can't be! It's Edward and his is floating lifeless face down. The crew would think he was dead for sure. Two men jumped off the ship and flipped him over. Why didn't I see this happening before hand. One man was shouting from Edwards body. "He's not breathing and he has no pulse! He is as cold as ice. His pupils are fixed and dilated. I think he's dead!"

'Dang it Edward. Why are you pretending to be dead. Get those humans away from you! Edward, I know you can hear my thoughts, stop playing already. This isn't funny!' "Oh, my brother. Please bring him to me!" They carried him to me and I said that I knew CPR so I started to work on him. Hoping to wake him. Nothing happened for 20 minutes, then his eyes opened as I was performing mouth to mouth. He looked like he wished he could die and he sat up and crawled away from me almost a little too fast for a human! Everyone else thought they just witnessed a miracle, but we knew better.

"Alice, what just happened?" He was shaking and looking around like something was after him.

"Well, Charlie 'fell' I used air quotes in the water you jumped in to save him and then you came floating up to the surface face down after being underwater for over 15 minutes. I then tried to resuscitate you for an additional 20 or so minutes when you finally sprung back to life. They think you are a medical marvel. We're going to have to contact Carlisle to help us out of this one. They want to take your vitals now. They aren't sure if they should get you back to shore or dive for Charlie." Edward did that annoying pinching the bridge of his nose thing and then said in a low and fast murmur that the humans couldn't hear,

"She took her dad to become like her. She's a mermaid or something and her grandfather is King Triton or the equivalent to it! He zapped me and that's the last thing I remember. But I did talk to her for a second. Alice, she doesn't remember me. She doesn't love me!" My heart broke for him.


	4. Esme has the key

Twilight is Stephenie Meyer's baby. I love to baby sit though!

Edward's POV

Who knew that the Coast Guard would help so soon. They had divers there searching for Charlie. I knew they would never find him. They were long gone, and with their speed, they could be a hundred miles away by now. Oh. That thought made me sick, I'd never be close to Bella again. I'd never hear her voice talk to me or say my name again. I'd never smell her sweet scent. Touch her soft hair or even kiss her lips...I can't think about that. It will drive me insane! I must find a way to locate her. There has to be a way. They had us fill out a police report of sorts describing Charlie's disappearance. Of course I had to say that I couldn't remember anything after seeing him drift further and further down into the sea. I wonder if that's what Jacob saw. Who cares about him though, still a part of me is sorry for him. He does care for Bella and he feels that he let her slip out of his fingers. There is no way he could have recovered her from King Neptune!

I had to refuse treatment from the guards medic dozens of times. Having a heart that doesn't beat would confuse them to say the least! Charlisle was at the dock waiting for us. He looked so distressed. He took me to the side and gave me my "exam". I quickly and quietly explained what happened as he was doing so. "Interesting" there was a buzz of thoughts going through his mind. I always had to step back from his mind when he was working out a problem. Soon after they released me. As we were walking, I could hear Carlisle's thoughts slow down. "I had a few more theories on our aquatic dilemma." he said as we made our way to our car. "But, I think we should discuss this as a family."

The house was quiet with audible voices, but I was being lashed out by internal thoughts.

"You almost exposed us!" from Rose.

"Did you really almost drown?!" Emmett

"Did it hurt you my dear" Esme, and of course

"I am truly sorry Edward. I'm not sure why you are feeling what you are feeling, But it's not good."

Jasper as he was putting out calming waves to prepare us to talk about what was going on. We stepped up next to the table where they were all sitting at looking at us with expectant eyes.

"Edward, Alice. Please take your seats, we have a lot to discus here and we need to vote on just exactly what we are going to do. However, after this meeting, Edward must go hunting. The attack took a lot out of him and he needs to fully regain his strength. Jasper, Emmett, I need you two to go with him." They both nodded. "Alright then, let's catch everyone up to where we are right now." With that, Carlisle sat down and extended his hand to me to signal me to tell my story.

I shared it with every possible minor detail. They all looked at me with their mouths hanging open.

Then Emmett spoke up, "I've always wanted to kiss a mermaid. High Five bro!"

With that Rosalie smacked him.

"Totally worth it!" he said with a goofy grin on his face.

This time she kicked him under the table.

"Ow Rose, that really hurt" he said rubbing his shin.

"Oh, did it?! Totally worth it!" she mocked. All I could do was shake my head and frown at him.

Esme had a far off look on her face and then spoke, "All that time, we knew there was something different about her. No wonder..." but she blocked her thoughts from me.

"No wonder what Esme?" I asked.

"Well, isn't it obvious dear, it's no wonder that she was so acceptant to us and then to the wolves. Our two species also accepted her very quickly. There must be something instinctual in all of us to gravitate toward each other."

Carlisle thought about that and put his hand to his chin thoughtfully and contemplated that for a while.

"It solves the whole floating thing though." Alice piped in. "Plus, that's why I didn't 'see' Edward being attacked, I'm on permanent block from Triton's viewing area."

"I think that we should keep our distance from them until we get more information on what exactly they are. He could have killed you Edward." Rosalie added.

"I have tried that Rose. Why do you think I was stalking Charlie all that time? I was trying to get more information on Bella! We have nothing. Nothing at all!" then it all got clear.

Esme spoke up and gave us the answer I have been searching for. "Her mother would never allow it. A mothers love would never accept the disappearance of her daughter. She must know what Charlie and Bella are. I have a hunch she may be one of them as well. As we are all well aware, mythical creatures have been known to live among humans...I bet she has some way to communicate with Bella. You must check with her mother Edward. The mother is the key!"

Everyone was just staring at Esme. She spoke truth, she was right. She had to be. There could be no other explanation. It was kind of surprising since Esme usually served as a referee and support system of sorts while the rest of us try to solve the problem in front of us. Carlisle looked at her with a deep respect. You didn't have to be Jasper at that moment to feel the love flowing between the two of them as they locked in a loving gaze with each other. The rest of us looked away and were shifting in our seats.

"Of course! Esme is absolutely right. The mother of our family knows a mothers heart. You must book a flight as soon as possible to Florida. Alice, Jasper, you need to accompany him as a weather guide and to get Renee comfortable to open up. Whether she is a mythical being or not she needs to know what we are. She will be more prone to tell us her secrets if we tell her ours. Jasper will help her 'deal' with that as well. Alice, you should go hunting too so maybe you should go instead of Emmett."

That's when I heard it, "My my, this meeting was probably one of my favorites. I get my husband back for the evening and I don't have to go and help Edward find his little FISH!"

I turned to her with anger and disgust and spat back, "Rose, I have never wanted your help! What good would it be if we had you painting your nails or looking in the mirror all day anyway. What real use are you to anyone anyway...well maybe your useful for Emmett at least!"

She jumped out of her seat and made a jump at me which I could totally predict from her thoughts and I moved a few inches back and she fell straight on her face looking like Willie E Coyote after he missed his mark. She scrambled back to attack again when Alice grabbed her and said, "Oh man Rose, I didn't want to miss that so I didn't stop you from the first leap, but I'm going to have to stop you before you make a complete ass of yourself. I know, it's against my better judgment!"

"How dare you!" she spat out.

Jasper had to put both hands on her shoulders to calm her down. Alice was giving me the biggest snicker and sending me her vision of Rose's pathetic attempt to attack me. I had to leave the room to avoid aggravating Rosalie further with my laughter. I ran to the forest and let the vision fill me with such laughter that hasn't been in my heart since before the incident at Bella's birthday. I felt a weight being lifted off of me and a wave of hope that I will find her and be with her again. We are meant to be together. I could tell when we touched underwater. It was that same connection that we felt in Biology all those years ago. I was joined by Alice and Jasper who also had silly grins on their faces. It probably matched the one I wore. Alice from the vision she saw and Jasper from both of us laughing so hard. Of all of our gifts, I think his would be the hardest to deal with. To have others control your feelings in a way and to know that if you don't get it together, you can mess up everyone else's emotions! That would be overwhelming!

"Oh Edward! Bella's alive! And from the sounds of it, she's well. I'm so happy for you, but I have to admit, I'm thrilled that I will have my sister again! Everything will be as it should have been!" Alice said with joy and relief.

I couldn't help but share that joy even though it is frustrating to know how this was going to take place, not even to mention how long it was going to take to find the way to make this happen.

"Yes, I will be with her again. I can't let anything get in the way, but the obstacles are such as I've never encountered before. Renee is the key, lets hope we can win her over...let's get the hunt over with soon so we can work on that."

With that, we ran for substance. We started off on our hunt when we smelled them. The entire pack was there surrounding us. NO! Alice and Jasper could tell as well and both of them said they were ready to fight. I had other plans though. The big black wolf stepped in front of me and spoke to my mind.


	5. Leech Attack!

Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyers not me (

Edward's POV

'Edward Cullen! My my my. You're out a little late aren't you? Not such a good idea to go for a walk with such few in numbers!' I could hear the others laughing behind him. They started to circle around us.

I then said, "So, you know my name. I would like to know the name of my intended murderer."

He laughed and said, "Murderer am I. I would have to kill something that was alive, and as far as I'm concerned, you all are already dead. Regardless, I'm Sam. I'm the only one that you need to concern yourself with. Well, at least for the next 5 minutes or so before you are a plume of purple smoke! Jake took care of that vampire Victoria. We kept clear of your family knowing that she had nothing to do with the treaty, but now that you've gone and broke it, you have no such protection!"

"What are you talking about?!" I spat, "We didn't break the treaty! In fact, you are currently on our land! So, who are the real treaty breakers?"

"I know what you did leech! You sucked the life out of Charlie Swan and then drug him so deep underwater he was sure to never come up. Did you tie some kind of weight to him or something?" Sam was growling after his little accusation. The shock and realization completely froze me. Of course it would look like I killed him. How would I not be able to save a human who fell in the ocean. They float after all!

"Sam, you are making a mistake! Maybe you will take us down, but I guarantee that we will take some of yours down as well, and when the rest of my family find out about what happened they will attack the rest of you and you will not be able to say with out a doubt that the last one standing wouldn't be a vampire! Think of your pack, think of their families! I am telling you that I did not attack Charlie. I only tried to save him. He made this decision. That's fine if you don't want to believe me, but look at the evidence. If there is even just one loose end on Chief Swan I would be surprised. He has wanted to join his daughter in the sea since Bella has disappeared!"

I could sense that they were interested in this 'theory'. If they only knew!

"Are you trying to tell us that Charlie killed himself. Why didn't you stop him? Especially with your little fortune teller over there"

Alice was a little unsettled by his gesture to her. She couldn't 'see' the pack before they did something so it was going to be fighting them with an arm behind her back. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I didn't want to involve them in this. I didn't want Jacob to start to have hope for Bella as well. He made it perfectly clear that he felt that his future with Bella was stolen from him when she jumped. He thought he would be the man in her life. Am I going to have to enter an emotional war with him if we got Bella back? This is just getting more and more hopeless.

"Answer me you parasite!"

"Fine. This is going to sound crazy. Just give me a chance to explain what happened. Bella and Charlie are still alive."

Sam rolled his eyes and the entire pack looked at him. "Start at the beginning bloodsucker!" The pack all laid on the ground giving me their full attention knowing it was going to be a long story.

It took us over an hour to explain the whole story. I was shocked when at the end they all looked at each other with belief in their eyes. That shocked me. What did they know? "Sam, this story doesn't seem like it's new to you and your pack." I heard them all shouting to Sam,

"Don't tell him." "It's not his to know" "The legends belong to our people"

"Enough! It is my decision to tell them, not yours." The pack quited down quickly. He then turned to us and said, "You look hungry. Why don't you...go do... what you do and we can share a story with you."

Jacob's POV

I have no idea where I am. But I'm hungry and thirsty. There is a reservation on the a little way up. Oh no. I'm in the middle of a desert and I can smell a bloodsucker here! They are a plague on our world! Well, maybe I can have a little fun in the process! I hate all of those leeches. I ran to where the sent came from. There were five of them and it looked like they were going to ambush the village. It was horrible! I could smell the fear coming from the people. The filthy bloodsuckers were talking to each other as the circled in to take down the town. I had to move and I had to do it fast. Maybe I would only be able to take down a couple, but that would give the town a chance for some of them to survive. One came a little too close to my hiding place. I don't even know if he knew what hit him. A few cracks and pops and he was disassembled. Man, I needed a fire and I needed one now! Suddenly I could hear thunder in rolling in the sky. As if an answer to a prayer a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree. It was split and was ablaze in seconds. I gathered the parts of that bloodsucker and threw them into the blaze. They were getting closer to the village. I could see them with their teeth bared. I got the attention of 3 of them as they ran toward me.

"We have to fight together to defeat this dog!"

"Fine, you three do that , I will be making sure that the villagers don't escape. I'm ready for a midnight buffet!"

That made me sick! A crazed looking blond blood sucker was the first to catch up to me. I quickly popped off her head and ripped off her arms, then it was the older woman. I've never seen a vampire that I could confuse for my friends grandparents! She was tougher than she looked. She gave me a feeling like she was my own grandmother. I wanted to go and hug her. I missed her so much. She called to me,

"Oh, where is my little pumpkin. Give granny a hug. I've got some candy here for you."

That candy sounded delicious! I have to go see her. Right now...I might die if I don't.

"Come on sweetie, don't you make Granny chase you. You don't want me to be disappointed do you?"

I would never want to disappoint my grandmother.

"Come on my baby!"

I wanted to go see her, but a small voice deep inside me said, 'No, she's tricking me. My grandma isn't that white. She's lying!' It snapped me out of my trance, but I decided to trick her back. I ran to her with joy bounding and with my tongue hanging out the side in a friendly manner. She had a look of malice on her face but it turned to horror and recognition when I ripped her to shreds within seconds. The third was on my back in seconds and was attacking me. I flipped him over me and shook him like a rag doll. I ended up tearing him in pieces quicker than I could have imagined. I grabbed all the pieces and threw them in the fire. They were quickly engulfed in flames.

There was one left. The smoke was everywhere. He would be sure to know what happened and would try to escape with one of the villagers or would try to destroy as many of them as possible in retaliation to what I had done. I ran closer to the res to see that he decided to destroy as much as possible. There was a mother and her two children who were cornered that the leech was snarling at and was getting ready to attack. Why would she take such a risk and run out of her house! I ran to stop him but he was too close to this poor girl. He was about to leap when there was a blinding light and a deafening sound. Next thing I knew, there were bits of that vampire lying around on fire. What just happened. Did lightning really do to him what it had did to the tree earlier? There was no signs of rain though. Lightning struck twice, right when I needed it. That was no coincidence. I looked at the woman and the children and realized that she couldn't be more than 17. The girl then looked at me horrified. Crying there shielding her little brother and sister with her body. That's when something happened that I never expected. My heart stopped beating. The world stopped moving. I couldn't hear anything or see anything but her eyes. They penetrated my very soul. I didn't know why, but from that moment on, I belonged to her. I didn't care about my life any longer. I would do anything in my power to make her safe and happy. She could hate me forever, I would always love her with my entire heart, soul, being...I have met 'the one'. I had finally imprinted.


	6. Jacob the Wolf

Jacob's POV

I must know who she is. I need to sweep her away!

"Please, I'm begging you! Don't hurt us! Please leave us!"

Tears were streaming down her cheeks and I cocked my head to the side and then looked at the ground where I saw my paws with its razor sharp claws. I backed off in horror. She thought I wanted to hurt her. Never! I ran from her as fast as I could. I went to the forest and phased back to my human form. It's been months since I was human. It was so strange. I was standing there naked shaking and fighting myself from running back to her. I couldn't go before her like this. That's when I heard his voice.

"Wolf man! Are you here? You saved my people. Let me help you now!"

It was an old man, most likely the elder of his tribe.

"I am here, but I have a name, it is Jacob. And um yeah, I could use your help." I said embarrassed.

"Tell me, what is it you want from us!".

"I could use a pair of sweat pants if that would be ok?"

"Sweatpants? Um...I think I can get you that. Do you need a hole in the back for your tail?" he asked in all seriousness.

I stepped out of the shadows trying to cover my nakedness with a bush, what I would do for some fig leaves right now! "No, that wont be necessary at this time. But I would like you to introduce me to the young girl I saved!"

"Jacob the Wolf, don't be confused. You may have saved the res, but you didn't save the girl. The Thunder god did that!"

What, is he talking about... Thor or something? "Oh, because he got struck by lightning before he got to her! Yeah, Thunder god...sure, sure! Well, can you please introduce me to the girl who the Thunder god saved then?" I can't believe I said that with a straight face. I guess all tribes have their legends. The elders always seem to believe them more than then rest, but with all of my tribes legends becoming truer and truer...I want to hear more of this legend.

"That would be my great-granddaughter Sarah. She is beautiful but she comes with lots of baggage. You don't want her Young Wolf! She is needed here with her tribe! Especially now that her parents were killed by the cold one. She must take care of her younger brother and sister. Are you ready for that responsibility?"

"Hold on there now! I'm not saying anything about taking her away or responsibilities! I was only asking you to introduce her to me."

He looked at me questioningly. "Young Wolf, we know your kind and I have seen the look that you gave my Sarah. I have never seen one of your kind look at a woman as you did and not take her away. You gave your mating gaze did you not?"

How does he know? Oh man, I haven't even said hi to her now I'm being told that he knows I want to marry her. She hasn't even seen me yet. She should have some choice in the matter, shouldn't she? Oh, Sarah, what am I getting you into?

"Ok, I don't know anything about a 'mating gaze' but..."

"Don't you?" he interrupted, "I think you know a lot more than you want to tell this old man! If I'm to give you my great granddaughter I must be able to trust you. You are not making this easy on me. Surly I can see that you can protect her, but will you also protect her heart from lies and trickery. We know the nature of wolves!"

"What?! Maybe I should move on old man. You all seem safe. You don't need anymore help and clearly you are sure of my deceptions. I'll be on my way!" I don't need to get caught up with a crazy old man, maybe I'll check up on her every year this time till that old man dies and then I'll make my move. I was stalking away and then the thought made me stop dead in my tracks 'I don't think I can be away from her that long! I can't bear to go a day without seeing her!'

The old man spoke up again, "Young one, don't be so hasty. You must be hungry and tired. Come with me and lodge at my home tonight! You shouldn't travel on an empty belly. Besides, you will need to start to get used to your responsibilities by helping with my grand children's burial and to comfort Sarah. She is only 16 but has a heavy burden to carry. You must help her with it! You will help her raise her younger brother and sister and you will protect them and their children and their children's children, all the days of your life. Come now. Time to meet your destiny wolf!"

My mouth dropped open. I think I'm getting married in the morning to a girl that is only 16. What just happened? The old man walked back to the res. He came back a short while later with a pair or sweat pants that I quickly put on. They were a little big. I wondered with a grin where he got them and silently followed him to my "destiny".


	7. His Destiny

Jacob POV

As we walked on the reservation there was a buzz of whispers. I could tell that many were still afraid. They all were heartbroken from the loss of life and property. But one boy was resentful. I recognized him. It was Sarah's little brother. I swear I heard him whisper, 'go home flea hotel'. It made me chuckle...oh no, he's not even a teen yet and he is already giving me gruff. Crap! I could hear women howling they were crying so hard. The men were doing their best to put the destroyed homes back together and board up broken windows. Many of the doors were shattered beyond repair, and one house was a total loss with the remnants in flames that no one even attempted to put out. Luckily it was set apart from the others so the fire didn't spread.

That's when I saw her. My meaning for life. She was so beautiful. Her tear stained face was glowing from the light of the burning house. She was on her knees with her arms wrapped around her chest rocking herself. Oh no, that must be her home that she was watching burn to the ground. I ran to her and swept her into my arms.

I must have startled her because she started to scream, "Don't bite me! Leave this place now! Thunder god! Thunder god! Save me!"

I was sick to my stomach that she thought I was a leech! I wanted to explain who I was and tell her I would never let anything happen to her.

I opened my mouth when the elder spoke over me and said, "Jacob the...ah, this is my grand daughter Sarah. As you can see, her house caught on fire, but what's worse is those cold ones that you tried to warn us about came and killed her parents. Please...give her a little space since she doesn't know you! She will need time before she has anymore drastic changes in her life."

Then he turned his attention to Sarah, "Dear one, Jacob is known in his tribe as a protector of sorts. Please forgive him. It is in his nature to nurture." With that said, I immediately released my hold on her. It was like when she was in my arms, my heart attached to her like Velcro. It was so painful to rip my heart away from her. It took everything in me to do it.

"Jacob will be staying with us until the res is back on it's feet. He is very handy and a quick learner. He has expressed interest here and has let me believe without a doubt that he will do anything to put it back together for his heart is here. -- Isn't that so Jacob?" That sly old man. Slave labor is it? OK, I'll fix this town and in the meanwhile, I'll win my Sarah's heart. I have time on my side after all.

"Yes, that is true. I am a very hard worker and fast learner." I then looked over to Sarah who I saw was staring at my bear chest and then to my face when I looked into her eyes and said, "There is no place on Earth that I would rather be than here. My heart is bound here." I spoke that more to her than to anyone. Her eyes widened and she immediately looked away. It broke my heart to see her eyes look at something other than me. How am I going to live like this?

The old man then spoke again, "Jacob, you will be staying on my couch until your task is finished. I would offer my guest room, but my grand children will be staying with me. You met Sarah, but she has 2 younger siblings. Adam is 12 and Mary is 8. They are very precocious children and part of your responsibility is to lighten Sarah's load. You see, she is still very young. She is only 16 Jacob. She must finish high school and now is responsible for these two. They also have to go to school. I trust that you have also finished school."

"Um...yeah...I was working on that before my...um...trip here." He gave me a very disapproving look. "I could go to school with Sarah!" Yes! I could spend more time with her. Even if it were in school...yuck!

"I think that can be arranged. But Jacob, you must fulfill your duties and responsibilities. It will be hard work. Are you sure you are ready for this?" He looked at me questioningly.

"Yes, I will do anything for her...er the good of the res." I corrected.

I was in a field filled with the most fragment flowers and I was carrying Sarah in my arm as we were running through the field. We were laughing and my heart was filled with love and contentment. She was rubbing my lips with her fingers and then was smothering me with kisses on my cheeks. Suddenly, a basket and shears appeared before us. Sarah grabbed them and started to snip away at the flowers and was filling them in the basket. She would grab a handful of blossoms and tickle my face and neck and chest with them. She was giggling. It was weird because her giggle didn't match her. It sounded more like a child's giggle. The snipping continued and then I felt my ear get cut. The pain of it made me jump. I reached for my ear and looked at my hand and it was covered with blood. I sat up and the field was gone and in it's place I was on a sofa surrounded by my hair and blood. "WHAT THE...!" Adam was running out of the room with the bloody scissors and Mary was running with a lock of my hair. With one hand I examined my ear that was ripped nearly off and was in pain, and with the other, I was inspecting my hair and could see that I had bald spots. I ran from room to room to find a mirror. I found a bathroom and yelled in horror! I had bright orange lipstick on my lips and cheeks. White powder was brushed all over my face and chest. My hair was a freak show. Blood was trickling out of my ear. Then there was the smell. I smelled like a perfume bottle was opened and dumped on me, mixed with the powder, the blood and my own morning BO. And the best part was that Sarah walked in and saw me like that! It was my worst nightmare!

She had a look of horror, mixed with humor, mixed with embarrassment, mixed with concern. Oh what I would give for a rock to climb under!

"Um...what happened?" She asked. She looked at my bare chest covered in powder and blood and then the floor and then I saw her run out of the room. She ran back with a first aide kit in hand. "Oh my grossness! You're going to need like a million stitches!" She had a towel in the other hand and reached up for my ear.

She was doing her best to stop the bleeding. I reached up and put my hand on her arm that was administering pressure to my wound. The way her skin felt to my hands was unbelievable. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment.

"Are you going to get sick? Does blood make you queezy? Here, sit on the toilet!"

I sat down immediately. It didn't matter that I didn't need to. She gave me a command and I blindly obeyed. She could tell me to carve out my kidney with a spoon and put it on a platter and I would be digging through the flatware drawer for a spoon.

With that she said, "Here, hold this against your ear." my hand came up to my ear immediately and she started digging through the vanity's drawer for a wash rag. She ran it under cold water and rung it out. She started to wipe my face so gently and then she started to pay special attention to my cheeks. She rinsed the rag and repeated. Then she started to work on my lips.

I have to remember to pay those kids to do this to me again to get another dose of this. Then, the most amazing thing happened. She started to wipe down the front of my chest and had this glazed over look on her face. I thought my heart would jump out of my chest. Oh no...please, don't have me stand up now. Please please please please please! Instead, she stopped and rinsed off the rag again.

She came back in with a wash rag then she cooed with the sweetest voice I've ever heard, "I'm really sorry, but I have to look at your ear. It's probably going to hurt." With the most gentle touch she put her hand over mine she softly removed my hand from my ear. She was shocked when she looked at it. "Wow, all that blood came from that? I mean, don't get me wrong. It's bad, but really, when I first saw it, I thought it might fall off. "

"Ummmm...I'm a really fast healer." You see since I'm a werewolf, I am practically indestructible. By the way, I've imprinted on you and know that we are meant to be together forever and I love you more than anyone will or could love you and I will never love anyone anywhere close to as much as I love you. Oh...why can't I just tell her! Ugh, I've lived here for 2 months now and still I am instructed by 'grandpa' to not tell her. That I need to earn the tribes trust first.

"OK, so here's what we're going to do. You are going to jump in the shower and I am going to get ready. We will then see if it's still bleeding and see if we should go to get you stitches. OK, so, I'm off. Call me if you need anything."

She ran out of the room and shut the door behind her. I stood up to see that she had quite the reaction on me. I guess it's going to be a cold shower for me. I watched as the rest of the powder and blood washed down the sink. I grabbed my razor and shaved my head. Oh well, my hair grows fast anyway. I jumped out of the shower just to remember that I forgot to take out the towels from the dryer. Crap! I started to dig through the drawers praying to find at least a hand towel. No such luck. Typical!

"Sarah!" I called for her, but I could hear her hair dryer. Wow, I must have taken much longer in the shower than I thought if she was already drying her hair from her shower. Oh crap. Stop thinking of her in a shower, stop it stop it stop it!! "Sarah!"

There was a knock at my door and then a little voice said, "Jacob, are you OK?"

I was mad! "NO I'M NOT OK ADAM! YOU JUST ABOUT CUT MY EAR OFF!"

I heard a whimper and then feet running away. Good, he needs to feel bad about what he did!

A few moments later, the door swung open and there was Sarah in a towel and half dried hair. "Augh!!" She covered her eyes with both hands and dropped her towel. Then she screamed again and ran back to her room. I think I saw a glimpse of heaven! Please God, let me have that picture in my mind forever! She is perfect! I knew it! Granted, she screamed at my nakedness, but that's because of her innocence and then because of her own nakedness.

"Adam! I'm going to kill you!! You made me walk in on Jacob naked!! Gross!!" I could hear her yelling at her little brother.

"Ahhhh! I just saw my big sister naked!! I think my corneas are burnt! Sick sick sick!! I'm blind! I'm blind I say! You've scarred me for life!!" I saw Adam running out in the hallway with his hands covering his eyes.

"That wouldn't have happened if you didn't tell me that Jake was on the floor bleeding to death because his ear fell off!!"

"HE TOLD ME HE WAS HURT AND THAT I CUT OFF HIS EAR!!", Adam screamed still running around with his hands on his eyes.

"Jake is bleeding to death! Oh Adam, I knew it was a bad idea to play beauty shop with Jake while he was sleeping!" That was Mary for sure.

At that point, I came to my senses and grabbed Sarah's towel from the floor and covered myself. Oh, this towel covered her naked body. Think strait Jake. COME ON!!

I went in the hall and tried to speak reason. "Look, it was all a mistake, I'm OK, we'll all just forget about this by noon, and if not, we'll probably laugh about it tomorrow."

"Or NEVER!!", Adam yelled.

"Oh Jake, you're NOT OK! You're still bleeding." Little Mary said.

Out of her bedroom came Sarah. She was completely dresses but looked rumpled and her shirt was on backwards. "Jake, oh no!" She ran and got the first aide kit again. "OK, we're going to have to go to the hospital. Guys, come on, get in the car. We're going to miss school today to take Jake to the hospital!"

"YEAH!" Adam and Mary shouted in unison.

Grandpa's voice was in my head reminding me that I was responsible for their education! I'm a werewolf, by the time we get to the hospital which was an hour away, I would be nearly completely healed. "Look, Sarah, you know I will do just about anything for you, but I promise you, I've had way worse. Your first aide kit has butterfly stitches so we can tape it up and we can cover it with gauze to stop the bleeding."

I saw her face soften when I told her I would do anything for her. She then said, "OK, we'll do it your way, but if it's still bad after school. I will insist that we go to the hospital."

"Your wish is my command." That was more true than she would ever know.

We dropped off the kids at the elementary school and middle school. We got to our school and I walked Sarah to her first class. Cory was hanging around her seat ready to pounce on her. I hated the way he undressed her with his eyes. If he only knew what was under her clothes, he would be even worse! Stop thinking about that stop thinking about that!

"Hey! Van Gough! Time to GO to your little painting class!" Everyone started to laugh.

"Sure sure, yeah, I get it. The bandaged up ear and painting. Good one. Don't forget though. Van Gough was a little unstable. And if there is anything to learn from that is to never get too comfortable around the unstable guy. He might just snap and start snapping people he doesn't like!" That earned a chorus of "ooooooohhhhhhhhhhh"s.

Cory just didn't know where to stop. "Oh yeah?!"

"Yeah!" I walked up to him to remind him of our size difference. I really don't always go around intimidating others with my size, but this was a time for an exception.

Sarah then stepped up to me and grabbed my arm and hugged it. "OK Jake, I'll see you at lunch. Have fun in auto shop pimpin' up Mr.  
Granderson's ride." Then she pulled me down and stood on her tippy toes and whispered in my good ear, 'Don't let Cory get to you. We need you too much to have you end up in jail after ripping him limb for limb...besides, I would miss you desperately.' I thought her breath on my ear would make my knees buckle! She then started to laugh to let me know the last part was just a joke, but I wished more than anything that it was true.

I turned to her and whispered in her ear, "I will do anything for you...anything. I will be counting the minutes till lunch." It took everything in me to not just grab her and kiss her right then and there, but I couldn't help but nuzzle her hair.

As I walked away, I looked back at her and the look on her face was priceless. Her eyebrows were lifted up high and her eyes were wide and that beautiful mouth was shaped in an "o". Oh, could she be starting to fall for me as well? I can dream can't I!


	8. Surface Dweller

I don't own Twilight.

Bella's POV

Wow, this is amazing I'm having such an amazing time. I'm getting better at not being that open book Renee used to always call me! No wonder. I don't know why Dad didn't do that, but for some reason, I was glad he couldn't. Charlie wouldn't tell me much about my life. Especially my years I lived with him in Forks. He made it sound so dangerous. It scared me the way he would look when I would mention it. Like something horrible would happen to me if I found out! I couldn't believe how many of us there are. I was sure that I was done with school, but then I found out there was so much to learn! There were toddlers that knew more than me. It is going to take me forever to catch up. Good thing I had forever! It would get a little discouraging though. Most of the things I was learning about was culture based. I learned a lot about music and the its history. There were so many beautiful songs that I learned and their meaning. The power behind them. However, there was one song in particular that I would have running through my head. It had a pull on my emotions that I couldn't pinpoint. Some days it would warm me from head to toe, but on other days...it would remind me that I was alone. There were millions of my kind in the deep, but none quite for me. There were so many guy trying to get my attention, but I just wasn't interested. It had absolutely nothing to do with their looks. They were all, so perfect looking. But they were all the same. They had this arrogance that was beyond annoying! Everyone was so interested in me because they didn't know anyone that went to the outside world except for my family. They would ask me about driving cars, flying in airplanes, and about flavored drinks (especially Coke). They asked about fire and laying in the sun. They were amazed when I told them about water in houses and TV. They would ask about my hobbies and if I ever had a boyfriend. They asked me about my friends but they didn't seem to believe me when I would answer all their questions with the same answer, "I really don't remember my life on land." I would have glimpses of my life from time to time. Ever since I saw that boy follow my dad into the water I would see his face. It was getting more and more frequent. Then, one day, a particularly annoying boy grabbed my hand on my way to music theory, and he pulled it up to his face. I was mortified! I was just sure he was going to try to kiss it.

Then he said, "Isabella, what is this mark on your hand? It is so white, even against your ivory skin."

"Lenny, what are you talking about?" I looked at my hand and noticed it for the first time since my new life started. I was startled to say the least! "Did you just put this on me?" I accused.

"No really, I wanted to kiss your beautiful hand, but when I noticed it I was surprised since our kind doesn't really...scar!"

I started to wonder if it had anything to do with that boy. I went into a trance like state and saw in my minds eye that same beautiful boy who tried to "save" Charlie. He was sobbing uncontrollably but no tears were coming. Was he faking? No, that was real.

"Bella, oh Bella. Don't die! I can't live without you!"

The was blood everywhere. Oh sick! Where did it come from? Ugh! It was coming from me. The beautiful boy was asking another beautiful boy what he should do. He was told to do what?! I guess I was bit by a snake because he said that the "venom" needed to be sucked out. He called the beautiful boy Edward. It was like I heard music when I heard his name. Edward then started to suck on my hand. He wasn't spitting it out either. Sick sick sick, but sweet. He would be willing to swallow my blood to keep me alive. Wait a minute, he should have died then from the poison in the venom though right? I couldn't figure it out.

I had then woke up out of my trance like state. I looked at Lenny and said, "I must have been bitten by a snake.

He looked at me and said, "Yeah, we have seen sea snakes and how they bite and they don't leave marks like that. It looks more like an animal bite, if you ask me." He said looking at me like I had a screw loose.

"Well, I didn't ask you Len! I also didn't ask you to grab my hand, so keep your distance, 'K?" I glided away in a huff.

Later that week I learned about humans and their great attraction they have to our appearance and voices. We have been accused of causing many catastrophes in the past. Once we were having our singing practice on these beautiful rocks in the sun and a foolish ship sailed right into us! It was crazy! They completely lost all common since and dashed their ship in a thousand pieces just to be near us! Idiots! We are going to have our concert in a few weeks. I haven't been to the shore since before my change. I talked to my grandmother into taking me into to the surface some night soon so I would get used to singing in the air. She thought it would be a good chance for us to have some girl time. She also told me that I could learn about what we naiads used to do in days past. I begged her to take me back to where I was first changed. I was able to conceal that I was hoping to run into that Edward who saved my life from a snake so long ago. We were to go later that night after school and dinner. I couldn't believe how delicious fresh fish and shellfish could be, not to mention seaweed.

Edwards POV

I still can't believe that the wolf pack felt comfortable enough with us to invite us to First Beach to listen to a few of their legends. They had us sitting around a large campfire on the beach. Maybe they felt safer with the fire going with my whole family there. Maybe it was just there for atmosphere.

Billy told us of the 'water people'. "They were tricksters who loved to steal from us. They were so beautiful! Our first encounter with them that we know of, one stole the heart of the chiefs daughter. The people reported hearing a beautiful voice singing every night for a month. It was too much of a temptation for the beautiful Layla, the chief's daughter. She swam out to the singing one night and found that the voice belonged to a very handsome man but he didn't speak her language. Regardless of the language barrier, they fell in love. He came back every night and when he would sing, she would swim to him, but one night he didn't come. She sat on the on First beach all night and cried. She fell asleep on the beach and was awaken by her love, the water man. He was on the shore with her. Her father found that his daughter was not where she was suppose to be. He sent out a search party and they found her on the shore with the water man. He had skin that glittered like a fish but was still looked very much like a human even though his skin was bluish. They tried to catch him but he ran back into the sea where he disappeared under the surface. They waited for hours for him to resurface, but nothing happened. Layla was taken by her father away from the beach and was told to stay away. But her heart wouldn't allow it. The water man wanted to take Layla as his wife and made a plan. He had water women entice Layla's guards away from guarding her. It is said that they were the most beautiful women that have ever lived. Layla made it to their special spot on the beach where the water man was. He took her and made her one of them. Every year, we would leave a gift for them on their special spot on the beach. Anything shiny was well received. Layla loved shiny things. When she wasn't acceptant of the gift a horrible storm would occur. We will still hear their singing from time to time on nights like this. It is said that when we have violent weather it is because we have angered the water people. Layla had within her some abilities to control weather, like some of our ancestors before the werewolf...but that is another story. I think you have heard enough."

As if on que, we heard the most beautiful song. But the thing they didn't realize was my family knew the song. It was Bella's lullaby! It must be Bella singing. Her voice is absolutely beautiful! I looked through the darkness and I saw that it was her with another of her kind.

Bella's POV

I couldn't help myself. I was singing the song of my heart. It's been so long since I've been on the surface. I was looking directly at a beautiful sight. The moon and the twinkling stars. Could anything be more glorious? That's when Edwards face flashed in my mind. Well, maybe ...I smiled as the thought of him warmed my heart. That's when I heard it. My song being sung from the shore. There was a bonfire surrounded with shadows. Was Lenny trying to make fun of me or play a trick on me? I started to swim toward the shore when my grandmother stopped me. We had swam there with such speed after dinner. I was so caught up in the glory of everything that I completely forgot that I was on a very short leash with her. I told her I needed to know about the song. I then started to sing along with the other voice. I didn't care if it was Lenny, we sounded absolutely beautiful together. I was so expecting to see Lenny swim up to me but his swimming sounded more like a human swimming.

"Bella! Bella!" I recognized the voice, it was Edward! My grandmother looked terrified and grabbed me.

"Edward! Edward!!" I was fighting with my grandmother to get to him.

"Isabella, stop! Don't make me drown him! He is a threat to our way of living. He is only a human and can't live like or with us. It's just not possible sweetheart! I'm sorry, we have to go."

I ripped myself from her and swam to Edward. I grabbed him and held him with all my strength and he did the same. Wow, I thought they said that humans were weak.

"Bella, I thought I would never be able to hold you again. I never want to let you go again!"

"Edward, I knew there was something special about you. My father refused to tell me anything about you."

"Bella, what are you talking about? Don't you know who I am and what we mean to each other?" I could see confusion and sadness in his eyes.

I could tell my Grandmother was starting up a storm. 'Grandmother, please...I'm begging you...I'll leave with you...don't. There are more people than just him that will suffer. I LOVE him!' I plead to her in my mind.

She looked so...I don't know. She looked...conflicted. She kept saying in her mind, 'This is so wrong. Your father will die! Your Grandfather will wipe this shore off the map. Oh no, not another Atlantis! I can see that she does love him...but why? Aren't there enough beautiful men of our kind for her?'

"I...I'm sorry. No, I don't remember much of...anything! I just remembered a couple of days ago your name when I remembered you sucking the venom out of my snake bite on my hand."

He looked even more confused, "Snake bite? Bella.."  
"I have to go. Not just for your sake but for the greater good." I said through my tears.

Then he did it again. He did his sobbing without tears. His arms were grasping me like I was I life preserver and he couldn't swim. "Bella, please...I can't live without you. Don't leave me. You are my life. I can follow you. I don't need to breath! All I need is you."

Oh no...my song has driven him mad! He is like a sailor dashing his ship on the rocks! He would rather drown than leave me. "PLEASE!! Be sane! Of course you must breath! "he tried to interrupt me but I placed my hand on his beautiful lips to stop him. He closed his eyes in what seemed to be ecstasy and inhaled my scent "Let me speak! Let's just say that you didn't need to breath, do you think my family would allow us to be together?!" ok, I'm talking crazy, but still, his need for air wasn't our biggest obstacle "Please let me work this out. I don't know how, I don't know when...but I promise, I will see you again...Soon. Let me go for now, we'll see each other again. I promise you!"

"Bella, I will wait forever and a day for you. Whatever you want from me...it's yours."

Great...I think I have talked sense into him, "OK...then if that's true, you will wait for me on land and I will find you somehow. I could feel my grandmother pulling me I have to go." With that I swam away.

I could see Edwards floating figure get smaller and smaller as I swam away. I started to think of the emptiness that I had when I wasn't with him. I didn't remember my life before and I've been generally very happy...but...when we touched, I felt complete. Like part of my soul was with him. That he was part of me somehow. A part of me ached to leave him.

"Bella, you just can't do that! Are you crazy? How do you think your father and grandfather are going to take this? With him of all people. Starfish, it's just not good for our kind to be with humans, let alone what he may be."

"What?! The love of my life. Because that's what my heart of hearts tells me. How would you feel if you were forced to be separated from Grandfather?"

I could hear her thinking 'This is going to be harder to explain than I thought' "Princess, it is hard enough to have a relationship with someone from our own species let alone from a different one! You can ask you mother how hard relationships can be! Your parents thought they were perfect for each other, but they didn't make it past 2 years!"

I had gotten so much better at keeping my thoughts private, but Grandmother was absolutely right! I did need to talk to my mother. She would understand. "You're right Grandmother. I am acting a bit crazy. BUT...I do think I should talk to my mother. It has been such a long time...you understand right?"

"Absolutely my little Starfish! A girl needs her mother. However, let's check in with your father and grand father first, shall we?"

"Grandfather!!" I ran to him and he swung me in his arms. I love him so much! "I had so much fun at the surface! The moon...oh, I don't remember the moon and stars being so beautiful. Oh, and there was a bonfire at the shore." Then I thought really hard how I should treat this situation. I had to tell him the truth, but in my way that he feels he is in control of the situation.

"THE SHORE! Did any people see you?!" He was obviously upset.

"Yes, that boy Edward did...But it was completely my fault."

"What? Why would you do that intentionally?" He was absolutely puzzled.

"Yes, you see when I was at he surface I sang the song that has been in my mind haunting me since I for these past months. Well, then I heard his voice singing it back to me. He does have a hauntingly beautiful voice. Anyway, my sirine song drove the poor boy mad. He swam toward me still singing! At first I thought it was someone from school playing a trick on me so I swam towards the voice as well. When we met up I saw it was Edward. He was obviously captivated by me. It was none of his doing...it was all mine! He wanted to follow me speaking like a crazy person saying he didn't need to breath, that I was his life. Oh Grandfather, I am a wicked wicked girl. I nearly killed that poor boy because of my voice. I see the wisdom in staying away from the surface." I hope he believes my story...it's mostly true.

Grandfather looked at me with a puzzled look which softened and he answered, "My dear girl, it's not your fault, he has been after you since you came back to our world."

"But that's just it! I mean, I have been a sirine my entire life...well, mostly a sirine. Who's to say I didn't have my charming powers since before my change." Wow! I know I just said that, but maybe there is some truth to that! "He is quite beautiful for a human...even you must admit that Grandfather!"

"Yes, quite." he grumbled.

"When I was human, I was pretty, but nothing extra-ordinary to attract him. Even father has let his thoughts slip on that."

"Isabella! That's horrible...how were you able to hear your father's guarded thoughts?" 'I hope she can't hear mine too' "I'm sure you were quite beautiful!"

"He must have let it slip on accident." lie "And as for me being quite beautiful, you're my grandfather. You have to think that about me."

"Well, it still doesn't mean it's not true!" 'Wow, that would explain a lot about that boy if he was siren struck he would nearly kill himself to be near her. I guess I could be a little easier on him, but if he ever caught her, who knows what he would do to her.' "Well, let's just be careful and stay away from the surface, shall we."

Crap!! Oh, I got an idea, "Absolutely! I would never do anything to upset you or to destroy the life of a poor mislead boy...Yet..."

Grandfather's eyebrows shot up and he repeated me, "Yet?"

"Oh, it's nothing." I said with my voice cracking.

"My dear. You are so honest and open to me. You have kept nothing from me. Why are you starting now?"

"I don't want to upset you Grandfather! I want to do everything you tell me. I know it's for my own good. But the surface is so beautiful! The Moon and stars...oh. I'll try to forget them. They were just so beautiful. And the sound of my voice on the surface. To hear with my ears so clearly...Oh, it is something I can live without...will live without." I started to sob...not only for what I just said, but to know that I will never see Edward again.

"There, there my darling! We can not have you so down hearted. It pains me to see you this way."

"But what other option do we have? It's hopeless for me. Don't worry for me, time will heal me, and from what I have learned, that is pretty much limitless." please say this is working!

"No, I can't have you pine away for the next several decades like this. Besides, you have the annual concert to perform. No, we can figure out how to get you to the surface, we will just have better precautions. That's what we shall do. We will make it work. You can have your moon and stars. We can go to uncharted islands. You can sing to your hearts content. In fact...I have been thinking of ways we can enjoy the sun on those islands as well!"

I was so thrilled! I flew to him and gave him a bone crushing hug. "I knew you were a kind man, but this is beyond anything I could have hoped for!" lie "I love you Grandfather! Thank you thank you thank you! I'm so excited! I'm going to contact Mother! Oh, and could we keep this from Father. He has some serious hatred towards Edward. He'd probably see something there that isn't there."

"Of course! Anything for my little princess."

Open book, yeah right! I gave him another squeeze and laughed with joy!


	9. Food Fight

I do not own Twilight

Jacob POV

I got my lunch tray over flowing with food and walked to our usual table. Manasseh, Noah, Enoch, Jane, and Alexis were already sitting there. I was a little disappointed that Sarah wasn't there. Yeah, who am I kidding, I was crushed.

"Why the long face Jake?" Alexis said as she tried signaled for me to sit next to her. I plopped my tray next to her and popped a squat. She started to squeeze my arm like she always did when she saw me. It was kind of annoying, but really, I don't care. I only have eyes for Sarah anyway. I was stareing at the door that came in from the lunch line to wait for my sweet sweet Sarah. I truly isn't a coincidence that her name is Sarah. She is a princess. She will be my princess some day. I will hold her close to me and...

That is when I realized that I was getting a little too friendly to Alexis. Oh no! She's just about hyperventilating and looking into my eyes and doing some weird twitching thing with her lips. Stupid daydreams. I really need to get more sleep! I get distracted way too easily.

SLAM

Pudding splattered on my face from the dropped lunch tray. I looked up and there was Sarah. She looked like she was ready to kill me. I don't get it. What did I do. I quickly stood up and then Alexis fell on the floor.

"Jake!" She squealed.

I just looked at her confused. "What?"

"You just dropped me! What's your deal? Blonds are suppose to be dense, not boys! And what's your deal Sar- rah! Why are you splattering your pudding on me and my boyfriend?! You ruined my outfit you COW! I have to now go home and change. I should send you the dry cleaning bill!"

"Whoa, boyfriend? I'm not anyones..." but Sarah cut me off.

"I could care less who your boyfriend is. Obviously it was a MISTAKE! Why would I splatter pudding on Jake?!" Then she looked directly at me and said, "He's my friend! Why would I do something like that?!"

"Um...yeah, of course it was a mistake. I got splattered too you know and I'm not mad at all. If Sarah wanted to she could use me for pudding aiming practice all day." Uh oh...she looks like she might take me up on that.

"Is that your best way to defend me? Ugh!" and with that Alexis stalked off.

"Why would I aim pudding at you all day?! A girl would have to be pretty upset me to want to do that! What could you have done to upset me?! Huh!" She then stalked off.

Wow, what just happened?

"Dude, she has it bad for you!" Enoch said. He and Manasseh started to laugh.

"What are you idiots talking about about?"

"Um...seriously dude, you need to pay attention to what's going on!"

Then Jane turned to me and said, "They are talking about SARAH. I know being the center of a love triangle must be difficult. At least it seems that way in all the books I read, but they are talking about Sarah and then there is also Alexis' obvious infatuation with you and your...um...muscles. You need to make a choice and stop messing with their hearts or you are going to be all alone. At least, that's what I can see from my perspective."

"Really? Sarah...likes me?" I can't believe it. My dreams have come true. She likes me. Well, I don't know about it that anymore. "But...she just looked like she was ready to kill me. I mean, that doesn't look like 'like' to me!"

"Haven't you ever heard that there is a thin line between love and hate?"

Jane just said the most amazing thing I could have ever heard. It was amazing. For the first time in my life, I wasn't hungry. I didn't even have my lunch yet. I have to find Sarah! I have to explain myself! I ran out of the lunch room to look for her then.

Edward's POV

Esme looked as me with such hope and love in her eyes, "Oh Edward! I'm so excited for you. You will soon be reunited with your other half. The best part of it all is it sounds like she is just as immortal as we are. Which means..."

"Yes! I have thought of that as well! She will not have to risk her life to spend eternity to be enslaved by blood! Plus, she's not as fragile as she once was and, she smells the same. Yes, it's faded a little in the sea water, but she's the same beautiful Bella." I couldn't help but to smile and remember the last time I held her in my arms.

Alice and Jasper started to make out in the back seat. That is so typical. "Would you two give it a break!"

'Sorry man, but with all those romantic feelings you are giving off, it just kind of swept me up in the moment. Sorry!'

I nodded to accept the apology, however Alice had another point of view on it, 'Give me a break! You know very well if you had Bella hear with you right now that you wouldn't care if your audience was the Pres. of the US, the Queen of England, and the Pope. You would be making out with Bella till your lips catch on fire from the friction!'

She was right... I knew it.

The flight was uneventful yet very typical. The same kinds of flight attendances that hit on me. Alice told one I was gay to have her stop hitting on me only to have a male flight attendant make the moves on me. Alice must have 'seen it' because she was giggling right before she told the female flight attendances. I should have known when she started to recite Shakespeare in Yiddish.

We landed under the cover of night. Alice was very excited. I had to fight from gagging from the thoughts that "Simon" had of us and our future. Apparently he saw me as his sugar daddy and imagined himself as a trophy husband. I had to tell him that I was "Just not into him". He was yelling in his mind that I didn't know what I was throwing away. Oh, yes, I think I do, and I'll throw it away again in a split second! Ick!

Apparently, the weather would be co-operating with our visit. We found out where Renee lived and we worked out a plan to see her. It was very early in the morning when I got to her house. I've have resorted to stalking her mother. I expected to hear her dreaming, but what I saw in her mind instead took my breath away!

"Mom!! Oh mom!! I'm so excited!! What took you so long to go to sleep?! Wait, if it has to do with maritals, I don't want to know!"

"Oh Bella! I wish! No, Phil is out of town with the team. I had to stay here because we are having some plumbing problems. Ha ha ha! Can you believe that! Ohh! That's so ironic! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Oh mom! I miss you! Everyone here is so formal! They never call me Bella. You know, I feel more comfortable when I talk to you. Like, I can breath again."

"I know what you mean! Why do you think I haven't returned to you. Oh honey...I know, I know! Believe me! I know! But as you have heard a million times over, 'We are a noble race. We do not just follow our whims and fancy! We have dignity and grace. We have a responsibility to be examples to those who look up to us.' it's all so annoying! That's why your father and I left the water so many years ago. But...yeah, we see how well that worked out."

"What do you mean? I don't understand."

"You mean they never explained the REAL story with you?" Renee was a agitated when she said that.

"Mom, what real story. All I heard is that you didn't like Forks." I could see the confusion on her face. On her beautiful face. This is the strangest thing I've even experienced. I guess her people communicate during dreams.

"Bella, it goes much deeper than that. You see, Charlie, his parents, and I were...pioneers of sorts. Kind of like astronauts. None of our kind really wanted to do that. We didn't know what kinds of side effects there would be. Well, your grandparents had a really bad reaction. Or so they claim."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I think they really weren't happy on land! I think they are a bit of exaggerators! Anyway, you were a bit of a surprise. We didn't think that you would survive. All the doctors told us that you would not survive more than 3 months in the womb. They told us that if we went back to the water while I was pregnant that you would for sure not survive, so that we had to wait it out. Well, 3 months came and went and you were still swimming in my tummy. They were sure you would not survive the transformation in my womb...as you may remember how hard it was when you were transformed yourself."

"Please don't remind me!" she shuddered. 'Oh my Bella, what did you go through'

"Did you hear that?!"

"I think so. What is that?"

"Bella! You have been practicing those tricks I taught you to make your mind more private haven't you?"

"Of course...that's part of the reason why I contacting you. It's about Edward." 'She said my name'

'Bella! Wake up! Someone is trying to eavesdrop on our conversation! WAKE UP NOW!"

And just like that, they were gone in a flash. I couldn't see or hear my angel anymore.


	10. Secrets that you keep

I do not own Twilight

Bella's POV

"Whoa! What just happened?! Mom looked so scared."

"It's so funny...I always feel so natural talking to my mother and her calling me Bella. I really do prefer that to Isabella. I'm going to get some answers, and I'm going to get them today. Maybe her parents will talk to me."

--

"Gran! Hi! How are you? I am glad we finally have gotten to have an unchaperoned visit by my father or his parents. I always feel like I have to be on my toes all the time with them!"

"Oh, my Isabella!"

"Gran, please call me Bella...at least when we are alone. Grandfather really doesn't like it, but if we keep this between us, I think we will be OK." I said with an evil grin.

My Gran gave me a warning look and said, "You need to be cautious my dear. Secrets are the first step to deception. Deception has destroyed more lives than I can count. But, I guess I can live with just this one little secret." I saw a twinkle in her eye when she said that. She looked so much like Renee it was spooky!

"Speaking of secrets...Gran, I feel like Father is keeping something important about _my_ life from me. I was talking to Mom and she told me that the real reason for the divorse had nothing to do with her hate of Forks, but...she heard someone listening in on us."

"You're telling me that someone is monitoring your private conversations? That's horrible! You know how I feel about secrets, but invading one's privacy. That's crossing a line. We are an open race, but conversations between one's parents, or grandparents should have some...oh no!" She suddenly grew silent.

"What is it? Tell me. Please!" I begged.

She closed her eyes and sighed and then looked me in the eye. "Sweety, you know that your mother is a little different, even among our kind...I wouldn't be surprised if your conversations with her aren't always monitored. Your best bet is to have conversations with her that you are comfortable with the whole world hearing. There is always...never mind. They will never go for that!"

"You mean there is another way I can communicate with my mother? How?! Tell me!" I begged her grabbing her hands.

"Your father wont approve, especially since you two just got reunited."

"Gran, come on! I have just as much of a right to have a relationship with my mom as with Charlie!" My eyes bugged out. Why did I just call him Charlie. "I mean dad...uh...Father!"

Gran gave a sly smile and said, "No, I can't tell you. I'm in enough trouble with the counsel as it is."

"What trouble? What could they possibly want with you?" I was shocked. Oh no...I bet it has something to do with me!

"Never you mind! I can more than take care of myself. Don't you go thinking it has something to do with you. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree...isn't that one of your land expressions?"

I was confused, "I really wouldn't know Gran, I hardly remember anything from my life above the sea. My father wont tell me anything. I have asked and asked, but he always tells me he can't 'for my own good'. It's just so frustrating I just want to SCREAM!!"

"You know that I know little to nothing about your above sea life. Well, at least the last year and a half of it. All I know about that time you spent in Forks was your life was almost cut short due to some accident you had trying to find your boyfriend in Phoenix of all places!"

"You know about my boyfriend? So, then was my relationship with him...serious?"

Gran smiled and said, "Your mother said that you admitted to liking him very much, but she knew that it was much more serious for you. She also told me that he was very handsome and that he wouldn't leave you side for more than a moment or two. She caught him sleeping in your room all the time although she was nearly positive he was faking it. He looked exhausted and malnourished to her. He had dark rings under his eyes and was sickly pale."

"THAT'S EDWARD!! Gran...tell me more of what you know about him. Please!" I begged.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I remember hearing about you two having some sort of falling out of sorts. Your mother was very concerned, but then you snapped out of it. She was sure that you had a new boyfriend. A boy from the neighboring reservation. You were hardly ever home in the end. She told me that you had lots of dreams of...um...forget it."

"She saw my dreams?!" I was so embarrassed!

"Well dear, you see, not all sirens have that power. Just those who are descendants of the old one and even then, not all are. It seems to pass on to just the female descendants and even with those, very few. The old one is revered by all, but is a recluse of sorts. Her name is Layla. She was a ground dweller until she was a teen and was seduced by Sebastian the Great. He turned her into one of our kind and has happily lived here with him ever since. He was our king for many years, before he decided to live his life out with Layla in the forbidden waters. The waters aren't dangerous, but are off limits to all. It is said to be the most beautiful part of all the waters. They have enchanted the border of it to have all those who seek it to become confused and return home. Wondering why they ever left in the first place. They were ingenious. You should be able to see them at the concert."

"They will be at the concert? Really? I must talk with them!"

"It's quite difficult to approach them. They have to invite you to speak with them. Not the other way around."

So, I have to get them to invite me to talk to them do I? "Oh...so Mom was peeking in my dreams!?"

"Yes, but you have to remember...our kind live practically forever. Our relationship with our young is quite unconventional in regards to the above ground community. We treat our young as equals almost from the time of birth. We have old souls and are mature much earlier than land dwellers. We don't need the same coddling as they do. When you went to live with your father, it was very hard on Renee. Yes, she was very happy with Phil, but she liked to check on you that Charlie wouldn't push you into returning to the sea too soon. She was quite upset that you choose to return so early in your life. She wanted you to enjoy the freedom of being a human longer. It's something that Renee loves and is surprised you didn't have that same joy."

"Oh...OK, I'm confused. If I chose to leave land, why all the secrets?" My eyebrows were bunched up together so much I was starting to get a headache.

"I don't know why dear. That's something you're going to have to find out for yourself." she said with a sympathetic smile.

"Gran...there's something that I can't find out for myself. Will you tell me why my parents divorced." my eyes were willing her to tell me what my mother was interrupted from telling me and what my father hid from me.

"Your father hid it from you?!"

"HEY! You're not suppose to be able to read my guarded thoughts!"

"I'm sorry dear, it was your face that deceived you that time. Not your thoughts! I'll tell you. However, you're going to have to go harvest some kelp with me while I do so. I'm getting hungry and your Gramps is going to be very put out if he has to wait for his supper."

Jacob's POV

Sarah wouldn't talk to me during the rest of the day. I tried to walk with her from class to class. At last, we were in our last class and I tried to talk to her during American History. She just had this menacing look she threw at me. I was kind of scared.

Mr. Runningbear rolled his eyes as he taught us of how America was "discovered". That's always been kind of a sore subject with Natives. He would say, "Look, we know the truth thanks in part of our legends that are passed down from generation to generation, but we need to learn the white mans idea of history. We need to know it enough to pass the year-end tests and when we make our way in the outside world we won't be 'ignorant' to their way of thinking. With that in mind, we will be having a bonfire tonight. Please don't make me impose a new rule that bonfires are to be held only on weekends because my class was sleepy!" The bell rang and he actually looked surprised. "Sit! No one leaves yet! Read Chapter 12 when you get home from school today! I might be giving a 'pop quiz' on that tomorrow! Oh, and Jacob...I need you to stay for a few moment. I need to talk to you about something."

'Damn, I wanted to talk to Sarah. I bet she's going to try to hitch a ride with that ridiculous Chad just to make me even more upset!'

"Jake? Are you OK? Do you have sugar problems? I think I have some candy in my desk!" He started to frantically search his desk for candy.

"Oh...no, no! Yeah, my dad has diabetes, not me though." Crap...I must have started to shake thinking of that creep! "I was thinking of something upsetting and that happens sometimes." WHAT! Why did I just tell him the...truth! That was weird!

"Ha ha ha ha! Oh Jake, you can now close your gaping jaw and put your eyes back in their sockets." He continued to laugh at me. "I don't know why, but I have been told by many that I'm impossible to lie to. I'm very fortunate. I'm probably the only teacher in the world that can't be lied to. Well, mostly fortunate. It's pretty uncomfortable when an under aged girl tells me she is in love with me." I can't believe that he is telling me all of this. "But we are going to need to keep that temper of yours under control if you are going to be shaking like that whenever you get upset!"

"Sure, sure...um, why...what do you want from me?" I asked confused.

"Look, as you know I'm one of the 'elders' of the Tribe. Yeah, I know it's a little unconventional since I'm only 26. It's my lineage that pushed me up on the totem pole." He chuckled, "Anyway, I'm glad you have elected to take my history class. I saw from your transcripts that you came from a school that was strictly of your tribe. We have a unique situation. We don't have enough youth from our tribe to fill a school, but they let us have our own special classes, history being one of them. The bonfire tonight will probably clear things up a bit for you. The legend that we will speak of tonight will be of the Thunder god and our connection to him. I understand that your tribe has a certain closeness to wolves."

I was shocked to say the least. Of course he would know...he was an elder. I'm sure all the elders must know. That is something I never really thought about.

"We would like to invite you to share your legend with us as well. We have some legends on cold ones, but we didn't know that there was a connection with the wolf and the cold ones. Of course, we will share ours first, if that is OK with you."

"Sure, sure. I can share our 'legend' with you. I'm honored that you are inviting me. I have had questions of this Thunder god. I noticed that Sarah believes the legend with her whole heart. Can you tell me anything about it before the bonfire."

"Jacob, I know your interest in my niece...yes, she is my niece. You have to understand. Our people take our legends very seriously. They are more than stories to us. They have shaped us into what we are today. We are a proud people. We aren't ones to take help from outsiders easily. There is a reason that we accepted you so readily. I think that by tonight you may understand a little more...but that is all I'm going to tell you at this time. Now, you go and catch up to Sarah before that Chuck, or whatever pale face makes a move on her."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" With that, I ran as fast as I could without phasing to my Sarah. I could swear I could hear Mr. Runningbear laughing in the distance.

Edward's POV

I heard Renee jump up and open the window. Oh crap! Did she hear me? Was it me that she was talking about? She had a rifle like thing in her hand.

"Hello? Is there someone out there? I have a harpoon gun and I'm not afraid to use it!" She searched the grounds around me. I was sure that she wouldn't see me.

Alice was suddenly near me and she let out a giggle. Renee shot the harpoon at me! It made a "chink" noise as it hit my chest.

'Edward! Oh I am so sorry that I laughed out loud. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw that coming' she said to my mind as she continued to stiffle her giggles.

I could hear Renee just about hyperventelating and her heart pounding in her chest. "Oh no. I killed...I'm a murderer." she dropped her harpoon. "They're gasping for their last breaths." She was sobbing. She confused Alice's held back laughter as a death rattle. That made both of us laugh.

"Who's there! What kind of sick joke are you playing with me?!" She was very angry.

"Renee, it's me...Alice. Bella's best friend. I'm with Edward. We aren't trying to play any sick joke. I'm sorry that we laughed. We have a lot of explaining to do."

"Alice? I...did I hurt either of you?" She sounded embarrassed and concerned at the same time.

"Um, you got really close, but Edward got really lucky. You could almost say that he is indestructible." With that, she grabbed the tip of the harpoon and ripped an exit through my shirt to make it look like it missed me but not my clothes. "The shock and then relief that he was OK caused us to laugh...even if it was inappropriate. See!" She pulled me out of the bushes and my shirt was threaded with the harpoon. I must have admitted, I looked extremely ridiculous.

"Oh no! Edward. Are you sure you're not hurt?" Her eyes scanned for any sign of blood and then she blew out a breath in relief and started to laugh herself. "Now, why are you two hiding in my bushes?"


End file.
